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Red Deer Downtown Patrol Unit has new supervisor

Cpl. Sam Holm has 17 years RCMP experience
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Downtown Patrol Unit supervisor Cpl. Sam Holm addresses city council on Monday as Supt. Holly Glassford looks on. (Image contributed)

Red Deer RCMP's Downton Patrol Unit's new supervisor is a big fan of the city's heart.

"One of the reasons I like the downtown area and I like the Downtown Patrol role is because it's my downtown too," Cpl. Sam Holm said on Monday as he was introduced to council.

"To take on a role where I can focus my energy downtown, where I can work mostly with the businesses and the service providers downtown, that is a dream job for me to be able to step into that role."

Holm has been an RCMP officer for 17 years and will now oversee five downtown-based RCMP officers and two Community Peace Officers. The Downtown Patrol Unit was formed in 2018, and in 2022, two peace officers were added.

The peace officers have enhanced duties that allow them to investigate certain criminal code files including Theft under $5,000 and Mischief under $5,000. The team was also provided additional training and access to RCMP resources, such as their communication systems and the crime data collection and analysis effort called Pinpoint.

Red Deer RCMP Detachment Commander Supt. Holly Glassford said Downtown Patrol Unit officers focus on being visible, approachable while forming close partnerships with business owners, employees and patrons. The goal is to help maintain the vitality of the downtown by addressing concerns before they escalate and supporting community initiatives.

“This team is at the heart of our efforts to create a downtown where everyone feels safe and welcomed," said Glassford in a statement on Friday. "By building trust, listening to the needs of the community, and serving as a visible presence to discourage unlawful behaviour, together they are positively impacting public safety.”

Holm is from Edmonton and following his training at the RCMP Academy in Regina was first posted to Deer Lake, Nfld., where he served for four years before being transferred to a northern Labrador community of Natuashish and then Goose Bay, Labrador, Fort Resolution, NWT and then High Level, Alta.

Holm said before settling in Red Deer, he and his wife, a nurse, toured the province to see what community they and their three children would make their permanent home. They both agreed it would be Red Deer.

"We just fell in love with the city as we drove through," he said, adding both he and his wife had colleagues living in the city, where they have now lived for two years.

Holm said he is looking forward to his new role and the response he has received from businesses and service providers downtown has been "overwhelmingly positive."

The Downtown Business Association has set up a small satellite office for him at its 5009 Gaetz Avenue location. He can be found at his desk there on Tuesdays from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Glassford thanked the previous supervisor Dwayne Hanusich, now a sergeant in Leduc detachment, for his years of Downtown Patrol Unit service.

"His hard work, commitment, and leadership have made a lasting impact on the unit and the community. We are grateful for his contributions and wish him all the best in his future endeavours."